Roger Clemens and a team of former All-Stars will compete in the NBC World Series
Miss getting to watch Roger Clemens blow hitters away? Long for just one more jaw-dropping throw from Rick Ankiel? Can't forget the image of Dan Uggla and his turtle? Cheer up, baseball nostalgia enthusiast: You don't need a time machine, you just need a plane ticket to Wichita, Kan.
Clemens, Ankiel, Uggla and more blasts from MLB's past have joined forces for the National Baseball Congress World Series, held in Wichita from July 29 to Aug. 3. The NBC is typically a summer tournament for college players, but this year, a team of former Major League stars will take on the kids in a battle for generational supremacy. The MLB roster features 11 former All-Stars in total, from Josh Beckett to Roy Oswalt to J.D. Drew to Adam Everett.
Who do we have to thank for this gift from the Baseball Gods? Adam LaRoche and former Tigers pitcher Nate Robertson -- both Kansas natives -- got the idea after watching last year's tournament and started to make some calls. But even they were surprised just how quickly it grew.
"I put out a feeler, a text message, and I was blown away at the response," LaRoche told the Wichita Eagle. "And I mean, right away, guys responding and were really excited about it, wanting more and more information."
Word spread, and soon enough, a full 25-man roster was formed -- 24 former big leaguers, plus Clemens' son and former Minor Leaguer Koby. The team will begin group play on Aug. 6, and if they win, all prize money will go to charity -- assuming their pitching staff survives that long, that is.
"We're kind of getting guys prepped to go three innings, max," Robertson said. "I've heard Roger is going to come in here and try to throw five. I guess he's still a machine."
Yeah, we guess so.
UPDATE:
Looks like another all-time great, Chipper Jones, is also taking part in the festivities:
The Kansas Stars have added a 26th man. It's Chipper Jones. I repeat, Chipper Jones is joining the Kansas Stars NBC team. Confirmed.
— Jeffrey Lutz (@JLutz82) July 19, 2016